In its most dramatic guise – XKR Coupe with the latest R-Performance range of options – the XK looks as if it came straight from the racetrack. Particularly with the optional 20-inch BBS split-rim ‘Detroit’ alloy wheels shod with ultra low-profile Pirelli PZero tires and Brembo calipers.

Traditional craftsmanship, modern technology and add quality and originality to Jaguar’s XK sports car. For example, the burl walnut veneer that is used for the XK’s fascia is cut by hand from one single veneer ‘leaf’ so that the grain carries through from one side to the other. Lacquer is then applied, again by hand, to produce that characteristic high gloss.

XKR's Portfolio's lavish luxury is evident in every direction

The veneer isn’t applied to wood as in the old days of Jaguar, which could eventually split or warp. Instead, it is glued to an aluminum substrate, which provides a more rock-solid base.

Molded plastic provides consistent quality on the more complex shapes found on the XK’s dashboard. Then there’s the leather that flows over the seats, center console, door panels and steering wheel.

Every piece is still cut by hand using wooden templates, weighted down so the leather worker can trim it using an extremely sharp knife.

Years ago, the Jaguar trim shop looked at cutting leather with a laser. The idea was rejected, why? Because a laser creates heat and it made the edges of the leather brittle. That meant if someone pulled at the stitches, the join could come apart.

The cabin of the 2004 exudes traditional craftsmanship and quality. Yet behind the wood veneer and hand-stitched leather is the latest automotive technology; a six-speed automatic controlled by Jaguar’s unique J-gate shift lever; A concert hall quality 320-watt Alpine audio system; An optional navigation system (standard on the XKR); and rain-sensing wipers.

For the 2004 XKR, there are a wide array of options: Single color or contrast trim, a Performance all-leather steering wheel and a special Momo leather gearshift knob from the R Performance options range and body-hugging R Performance Recaro front seats trimmed in softgrain leather with integrated head restraints. Also, a high-tech ‘aluminum pack’, with textured aluminum surrounds for the tread plates and pedals is standard on the XKR. The XK8 receives aluminum surrounds for the instrument bezels, J-gate surround, and door release levers.

The shape stayed the same, almost everything else changed. For 2003, the sensuous XK sports coupe and convertible underwent their most significant, and substantial, engineering update since the XK’s original introduction in 1996.

The complete powertrain was revised from the rear axle forwards, with new, larger-capacity, more-powerful V8s, and a state-of-the-art, six-speed automatic transmission. In total, 900 partnumber changes – changes that gave the XK a completely new, more dynamic driving feel.

While many of the components changed, the personality of the XK did not; it continues today to provide a perfect balance of a true, high-performance sports car and luxurious, elegant grand tourer.

Two new 4.2-liter V8 engines – evolved from the familiar 4.0-liter AJ-V8 - take the performance of the new XK to soaring new levels.

The heart of each XKR the high performance super charged V8

In normally aspirated form, the engine produces 294bhp (SAE) – up from the previous 280 – but with a more significant increase in peak torque, from 277 lb-ft, to 303 lb-ft. Against the stopwatch, that translates into a 0-60 mph time for the XK8 Coupe, of just 6.1 seconds.

The supercharged 4.2 that propels the XKR coupe and convertible, increased in power from 358bhp (SAE) to 390bhp, providing the XKR coupe with standstill to 60 mph in just 5.2 seconds (5.3 for the convertible).

More dynamic off-the-line acceleration, and greater mid-range punch on both versions of the latest AJ-V8 is aided by the state-of-the-art ZF six-speed automatic, similar to the one used in the latest S-TYPE and all-new XJ flagship.

The XK’s top speed may be electronically limited to 155 mph, but the combination of increased torque across the rev range and six speeds rather than five, makes the XK’s mid-range performance even more flexible – and powerful – than ever. In the supercharged XKR, midrange thrust, for passing or merging with Interstate traffic, is nothing less than staggering.

The 2004 XK’s dynamic, responsive handling and impressive ride comfort starts with the car’s two-door monocoque shell, which is extremely stiff and exceptionally strong, yet surprisingly lightweight. It is quite literally the base on which the XK’s success is built.

Using high-strength steel in key areas, including the front chassis members, the suspension and bumper mounting points, door intrusion beams and seat-belt anchorages, the stiff shell provides a rock-solid foundation for exceptional suspension performance – always a Jaguar hallmark.

The XK features independent front suspension with double, unequal length A-arms, coil springs and telescopic dampers. This is a classic layout, but in the XK’s case, features numerous Jaguar refinements. Like the front wishbones being secured to an immensely rigid, very light, allaluminum-alloy front crossbeam.

The rear suspension also uses coil springs, independent telescopic dampers, and an unequallength wishbone layout with the driveshafts acting as upper links. Anti-squat geometry prevents the XK’s tail dipping under hard acceleration.

Electronic driver aids that comes as standard on the 2004 XK include Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) and Jaguar’s Computer Active Technology Suspension (CATS) system – standard on the XKR only.

Race inspired drivers pedals

Also available on the XK is Jaguar’s remarkable Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), which takes the function of cruise control an important step further. Using microwave radar technology, ACC detects slower vehicles ahead, or can sense another vehicle crossing into ‘your’ lane. If this occurs, speed is adjusted to suit by overriding the set cruise speed to maintain the gap, and removing the need for the driver to adjust or cancel the set speed.

All 2004 Jaguar XKs come with powerful brakes. With ventilated discs at all four wheels, and four-channel ABS anti-lock function as standard to retain steering control even during an emergency stop, the XK is equipped to stop as impressively as it goes.

The normally-aspirated XK8 has radially ventilated rotors all round (12.8 x 1.1-inch at the front and 12.0 x 0.8-inch at the rear). The supercharged XKR, with its greater performance, features 14.0 x 1.3-inch ventilated front discs and 13.0 x 1.1-inch ventilated rear discs, with four-piston aluminum calipers carrying the Jaguar R Performance logo and manufactured by Brembo.

The 2004 XK is as much the luxury grand tourer as it is the responsive, agile-handling sports car. The car has to satisfy the enthusiast wanting a rewarding Sunday morning ‘blast’ as much as the traveler looking to cover 1,000 miles in a day.

That’s why the XK’s long-travel, independent coil suspension is tuned to provide the perfect balance between taut handling and a smooth ride. The XK’s perfectly-weighted, speed-sensitive, power-assisted steering also helps makes the car feel lithe and nimble, particularly when pressed hard on tight, twisty back roads.

But the pure enthusiast, however, only has to look to the supercharged XKR to get an XK that’s happy to spend its weekends at the track. Sports-tuned suspension, together with standard 18-inch alloy wheels shod with high performance 245/45-ZR18 front, and 255/45-ZR18 rear tires give the car a truly dynamic character on the road.

The XKR comes fitted as standard with Jaguar’s remarkable Computer Active Technology Suspension – or CATS for short. This is an electronic control system that combines upgraded springs to increase roll stiffness with adaptive dampers to optimize ride refinement. It helps deliver a blend of driving dynamics with the comfort and refinement that is a Jaguar hallmark.

This sophisticated technology allows the XKR to be two kinds of car in one package – a true sports car, but with comfort of a luxury grand tourer.

In simple terms, CATS works by continuously adjusting the damping characteristics to suit driving conditions, optimizing both ride and handling. A series of sensors provide information to the electronic control unit, which is mapped to deliver the best solution to dampers that can switch between firm and soft settings in milliseconds.

When the car is started-up, damping defaults to the firm setting, but switches to the softer setting once the car is traveling at more than 5mph on a smooth, straight road. When the XKR encounters a bump, or during cornering and braking, the settings switch instantaneously to the firm model, reducing body roll and increasing stability.

Jaguar’s XK sports car takes to the road, even before it’s built.

As part of its production process, the XK’s bare body structure is assembled and painted at Jaguar’s newly modernized Castle Bromwich plant on the outskirts of Birmingham, England.

The painted bodyshells are then loaded aboard covered trucks and shipped by road the 15 miles to Jaguar’s Browns Lane plant, near Coventry for final assembly and trim installation.

Browns Lane is Jaguar’s spiritual home, having being acquired by Sir William Lyons in 1951. It also serves as Jaguar’s corporate headquarters.